Workers dissatisfied with increment, at least 25 factories in Ashulia halt work amid protests: BGMEA

Workers at 25 garment factories in Ashulia have halted operations or left work today (11 December), demanding a 15-20% annual increment, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).

According to the Industrial Police, workers are not causing chaos but have stopped work, with some leaving the factories due to dissatisfaction over the increment.

Sources within the industry stated that employees of Ha-Meem Group, Sharmin Group, Medlar, Next Collection, Al Muslim, and Setara Group, among others, have stopped work despite reporting to factories in the morning.

Another source revealed that the protests have closed factories such as Nasa and Trouser Line under Section 13(1) of the Labour Act. 

Meanwhile, Bando Design declared a general holiday, and Ha-Meem and Knit Asia workers have already left their premises. 

Employees at New Age, Deco, Al Muslim, Ethical, and other factories are sitting on floors, refraining from work.

A worker from Knit Asia told The Business Standard, "For the past three days, there has been unrest in our factory. The workers are refusing to work, joining others in demanding a 15% increment."

Similarly, a Deco Group worker shared, "As workers refused to work, the management declared a holiday early in the day."

Sadhan Kumar, general manager of The Rose Dresses Limited, said, "Our workers showed up yesterday but refused to work today. While they resumed work after discussions, surrounding factories shutting down forced us to close operations."

Addressing the challenges posed by the new unrest, Kumar noted, "Just as striking someone twice causes more damage than once, our situation is similar. We're still recovering from a recent wave of worker dissatisfaction, and this adds another layer of difficulty for the industry."

Several other factories remain closed following yesterday's announcement due to continued worker strikes, but the exact number of closed facilities is yet to be determined.

Yesterday, production had already been halted in at least 10 factories due to the protests.

Mohammad Mominul Islam Bhuiyan, superintendent of Industrial Police-1, told The Business Standard, "The workers are not satisfied with the increment and have stopped working. However, they are not engaging in any unruly or disruptive behaviour."